


an adjustment

by bog gremlin (tomatocages)



Series: nonsexual intimacy prompts [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blade of Marmora Trials, M/M, Mutual Pining, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Rites of Passage, Trials, Uniforms, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25383829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomatocages/pseuds/bog%20gremlin
Summary: When Keith becomes a senior Blade, there’s a ceremony. Shiro is invited to witness it.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: nonsexual intimacy prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838314
Comments: 5
Kudos: 91





	an adjustment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bavariansugarcookie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bavariansugarcookie/gifts).



> Nonsexual Intimacy prompt: Adjusting clothing ([originally posted on twitter 6/12/20](https://twitter.com/boggremlin/status/1271637760600952832))

When Keith becomes a senior Blade, there’s a ceremony. His mom’s there, of course, and Kolivan, and even though the Blade of Marmora is a secret organization, Krolia overrides Kolivan and invites Shiro.

Shiro is, at best, leery about attending a Blade ceremony, considering what happened the first time Keith participated in one. But Keith is his friend — he might be more than his friend, if Shiro can just get his act together — so Shiro arrives at the appointed time, dressed down in his flight armor instead of the Garrison uniform. He’s not allowed any weapons, but Shiro’s body is a weapon. He’s not too worried about himself. He's been willing to fight the Blade before; not much has changed. 

The ceremony is as much an ordeal as the Trials were, though they are at least less overtly lethal. Keith faces the masked collective of Blade operatives, first one-on-one, then in larger numbers. He has his knife, and it’s Shiro’s job to sit on the fucking sidelines and hold the space wolf back from interfering. (Shiro thinks: it’s possible they’re keeping each other in check.)

The only thing keeping Shiro even marginally calm is that no one’s drawn blood yet, and Krolia seems deeply unconcerned. Shiro has a lot of faith in Krolia; she’s made of iron, and possibly old grudges. If the ceremony takes a turn for the traumatic injury, Shiro is positive he can count on her to subdue Kolivan so Shiro can intervene on Keith's behalf. 

Fortunately, there’s no need for a coup. The ceremony ends after brutal, exhausting hours of Keith throwing himself at the other Blades and avoiding injuries, until it’s just Keith in an empty room, Shiro watching from behind a screen as Keith’s battlesuit transports him to a virtual mindscape. 

This, here, is the part that Shiro was frightened of. But this time there’s no false version of himself tearing Keith down; it’s a test for Keith, but Shiro has been waiting for this moment, horrified that he might once again witness a version of himself hurting Keith. Shiro _has_ hurt Keith; he was there. He doesn't want to live through it again.

He doesn’t know how Keith has borne it, every time that’s happened. Shiro can’t bear to think of it. 

Instead, Keith’s suit shows him a world full of stars, dazzling with heavy darkness and flashes of purple light. It’s the astral plane; Shiro hears what Keith hears, though he can't make out the words. It’s the heavy rumble of the Black Lion’s voice, her low purr and scraping yowl, and Shiro never could tell if that sound was approval or chastisement. Keith drops to his knees.

Beside him, the wolf whines. Shiro eases up his grip on the creature’s scruff, clenches and unclenches the fist of his right hand. But Keith opens his eyes — they’ve gone gold in the faint light of the hall, his pupils slitted violet and glowing with the remnants of his vision. In his hand, Keith’s blade waxes and wanes, glinting with the same stars that Shiro remembers from his incorporeal time. 

“Very good,” Krolia says as the lights come back on, slowly. She’s been beside Shiro this whole time; he wonders if that was part of the test, if she was minding him the way Shiro has been minding the wolf. “He passed.”

There are hours more until the ceremony is complete, but it ends with Keith draped in fabric.

Unlike Kolivan’s sash, Keith’s is new; it hasn’t been bled on, or been used as an impromptu face mask, or to filter water. It’s clean and bright, like an idea of leadership without any of the stains. When Shiro finally makes his way to Keith’s side — he breathes a sigh of relief, now that he has Keith’s six again — Shiro reaches out. Instead of pulling Keith into their usual embrace, he runs the fingers of his left hand over the drape of the sash against Keith’s chest. It’s awkward; Shiro was always right-handed. 

Keith smiles — an all-the-way smile, big enough that if he had dimples, they’d kick out at the edges of his face. “Like it?”

“It’s a good look,” Shiro says. He tugs at the fabric a little, until it lays smooth. It emphasizes the breadth of Keith’s shoulders, his narrow waist. It makes Keith look older, and softer, and more confident. “I’m proud of you.”

"I know," Keith says. He sounds shocked and pleased. Shiro loves that tone of voice best in all the world.


End file.
